Rotary masher



Oct. 7, 1952 R. c. R01 2,612,922

ROTARY MASHER Filed Aug. 51, 1949 INVENTOR. RENE CHARLES R Patented Oct. 7, 1952 ROTARY MASHER 'Ren' Charles Roi, "Paris, France, assignor'to'societe Civile dEtudes pour la Fabrication dc -Prod1iits1ndusti+iels Manufactures (S. E. P. M.), Paris, France, a corporation of the :Ercnch-Republic Application August 31, 1949, serialNo. 113,320 InFrance September 21,1948

It is :known that masher-s 'g'eneral1y comprise a container provided with a perforated bottom acting asa sieve and through'the center of'which passes the axle of a crank handle'ma-de integral with a compression imeniber of the helical=type a generatrix of "which is resiliently "maintained in-contact-with-saidsieve.

It 'has already been proposed to substitute a comparatively thin 'plate for the bar generally used incombination with -a coil-spring for "applying the'compression member into contact with thesieve. Thisp'late has in its medial portiona perforated hole provided for' passing the axle of the'crank-handle through it;said'hole being preferably located below the' points where the plate is attached to the container, while the crankhandle'hassa stop against'which' the medial portion of the resilient' 'plate applies and exerts its pressure.

"This device'has a few drawbacks'because:

lj The perforated hole corresponding to the passage or the prank-handle decreases the strength of the plate at the location where the stretch is maximum.

The small thickness of the plate, which is necessary "for obtaining a certain lasticity, enables' toobtain only an imper'fectguiding of the crank-'handles axis.

3. The flap dipping int'he container 'for preventing the matter which should pass "through the sieveo'f being rotatably driven provides only one shearing :of 'said matter when the crankhandle.makesone'revolution.

The improvements which are the object of'my invention prevent "the above drawbacks. They are characterizedin 'thattheresilientbarismade of a metal Wire having an appreciable elasticity, spirally coiled up near its medial portion-in order to make at "least one whorl having an internal diameter smaller than the diameter of a "stop provided on'the crank-handles axle.

The manufacture of the strip by means of 'a steel wire having a big diameter, corresponding to any suitable section, enables to obtain an extremely low cost, and a resistance to permanent deformation which is practically never exceeded. It would occasionally be possible to remedy any permanent deformation 'by making again the spring bentthrough another permanent deformationinthe opposed direction with respect'to that which had produced the decreased elasticity. Finally the embodiment comprising one'or more whorlsat the medial portion has an increased strength at this location.

A further object of the invention is to provide '2 a device of the above mentioned character in which the medial whorl or whorls "has or have an internal diameter which is equal, with the exception of the clearance, to the *diamter of thecrank-axle which is journalling in it'or them.

Because of that arrangement, "thewhorlsmake a real bearing which ensures the 'centering of the axle.

A' further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, in which 'the attaching means of theresilient bar are carried by the internal'wall ofthe container and set at the'lower portion of'the latter.

The bar then iulfillsthe samepurpose "as "that of a diametrical knifewhich 'avoids'having a'flap asit is the caseat the present time and haswith respect to said flap the advantage "of ensuring a double shearing when the cra'n'khandle makes one revolution.

Other obj ects and=advantages of the invention Will'be apparent during the courseof the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming apart of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts thro'ughoiit thesame,

Fig. '1 isa perspective view of an embodiment of a masher comprising a'resilient bar'made of a metal Wire according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a partial elevational -view*show'ing the axle of the crank handle carrying the compression member, and the bar made of a metal wire,

Fig. 3 "is a section along III- III of'FigfiZ,

Fig.4 is *a perspective view showing "an-embodiment of the locking device,

Fig. 5 is an axialsection of a masher provided with 'a bar 'made of a metal =wire'set atth'e lower portion 'of the container,

Fig. fi ls a partial elevational vi'ewnf the-eixle carrying the compression member and the resilient bar,

Figf'i is an-elevational viewofa lockinghook, and,

Fig. 8 is a section *along 'VIII- VIII'o'f Figfi'i.

' The following description relates to=a few =embodim'en'ts of resilient bars 'usd i'nmashers hav ing predetermined shapes andhaving a "compression mernberconstituted by only one *blade cooperating-with *afrusto-conical sieve. It is to be understood that "these members may be generally usedin-all mashers and likeepparatuses fulfilling the purpose of pressing, shearing {and making the food pass through a *sieve, whatever be their shape, cylindrical, frusto-conical or other, andWhatever'bethe'numberandtheshape of the blades of the compression member and the shape of the sieve used in combination with the latter.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a masher comprising a cylindrical container l along the axis of which is rotatably mounted a crank-axle 2, at one end of which is a compression blade of the helical type maintained into contact with the sieve which forms the bottom of the container, and at the other end is a knob 3.

According to an embodiment more particularly shown in Fig. 2 and 3, the axle 2 of the crankhandle comprises a shoulder whose distance above the compression member is such that it substantially exceeds the superior level of the container when in the working position. Around said axle and above said shoulder is coiled, in order to form at least one whorl l, a piece 5- of metal Wire having a suitable resiliency (made of steel for instance) and one branch of which is preferably ending with a buckle 3 enabling to exert a downwards vertical pressure on the cor= responding branch.

On the external wall of the container l are attached at diametrically opposed point and by means of any suitable process, welding for instance, two brackets ending with hooks 9 projecting above the edge of the container and having each an opposite direction. These hooks, which are destined to receive the two branches 6 of the resilient bar, are located below the level of the shoulder 5 of the axle in such a manner that the bar is bent to such an extent that the compression member 4 is applied against the sieve with a suiiicient pressure.

The discarding is obtained by exerting a pressure on the buckle 8 as previously stated and con secutively relieving the two ends of the bar from the corresponding hooks.

In Fig. 4, the bar is made in the same way, and the locking means comprise two diametrically opposed grooves ll], provided in the wall of the container and preferably having each a jump at its upper ending portion in order to constitute a bayonet locking.

Fig. 5 is an axial section of a masher comprising a irusto-conical container ending with a cylindrical wall having an internal lip 16. The latter is designed for receiving a lip havin the same shape of a frusto-conical sieve ll provided with a hub l8 having a sufiicient length for ensuring the centering of the axle 2. The latter (Fig. 6) has no medial shoulder but carries an abutment 2 just above the blade l, and the two ends 6 of the metal wire are identical; they are destined to be set inside hooks l5 (Figs 7 and 8) which lock them. These two hooks are attached below the setting of the axle 2 on the blade 3, which setting forms the stop on which rests the whorl 1 of the bar.

In that position, the bar carries out a double shearin in the matter to be mashed when the crank-handle performs one revolution. The fact that it is made of a wire makes it easy to clean.

In the preceding examples the bar, in case itis made of a wire, forms the male member of the locking device, the female member of said locking device being integral with the container. On the other hand, when the bar is made of a spring plate, the female and male members are reversed. It is of course to be understood that the above examples are not limitative, and that the same result would be obtained by reversing the purpose in view in each particular case.

It is also to be understood that the forms of my invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A masher, comprising in combination, an open top container having a perforated bottom wall; a crank having an abutment thereon and. being rotatably mounted in said bottom wall of said container for rotation about an axis extending along the length of said container; 2. mashing member fixed to said crank for rotation therewith and bein located just above said bottom wall of said container and below said abutment of said crank; and a one-piece, elongatedg narrow, springy, cross member extending in a direction transverse to said axis of rotation across the interior of said container and being removably connected to opposite side wall portions thereof, said elongated, narrow, springy, cross member embracing said crank at a point just above said abutment thereof to resiliently urge the latter and said mashing member therewith toward said bottom wall of said container.

2. A masher, comprising in combination, an open top container having a perforated bottom wall; a crank rotatably mounted in said bottom wall of said container for rotation about an axis extending along the length of said container; 8. mashing member fixed to said crank for rotation therewith and being located just above said bottom wall of said container; and a one-piece, springy, wire member extending in a direction normal to said axis of rotation across the interior of said container and being removably connected to opposite side wall portions thereof, said springy, wire member embracing said crank at a point just above said mashing member to resiliently urge the latter and said crank therewith toward said bottom wall of said container.

3. A masher, comprising in combination, an open top container having a perforated bottom wall; a crank rotatably mounted in said bottom Wall of said container for rotation about an axis extending along the length of said container; a mashing member fixed to said crank for rotation therewith and being located just above said bottom wall of said container, said mashing member being joined to said crank at a point located substantially midway between the top and bottom ends of said container; and a one-piece, springy, wire member located substantially midway between the ends of said container, extending in a direction normal to the axis of rotation across the interior of said container and being removably connected to opposite side wall portions thereof, said springy, wire member being bent only at a central portion thereof to form a loop embracing said crank at a point just above said mashing member to resiliently urge the latter and said crank therewith toward said bottom wall of said container.

4. A masher, comprising in combination, an open top container having a perforated bottom wall; a crank rotatably mounted in said bottom wall of said container for rotation about an axis extending along the length of said container; a mashing member fixed to said crank for rotation therewith and being located just above said bottom wall of said container; a pair of holding members each having a substantially U-shaped portion provided with an open end facing said bottom wall of said container and a closed end facing the top of said container, said holding members being respectively fixed to opposite inner side wall portions of said container, and said U-shaped portions each being entirely spaced from said container side wall portions; and a one-piece, sprinsy, wire member extending in a direction normal to said axis of rotationacross the interior of said container and having opposite straight free ends respectively located beneath said closed ends of said U-shaped portions of said holding members, said springy, wire member being bent only at a central portion thereof to form a loop embracing said crank at a point just above said mashing member to resiliently urge the latter and said crank therewith toward said bottom wall of said container.

5. A masher, comprising in combination, an open top container having a perforated bottom wall removably mounted thereon, said perforated bottom Wall being conical and havin the apex thereof located within the interior of said container and the base thereof substantially coinciding with the bottom end of said container; a crank rotatably mounted in said bottom wall of said container for rotation about an axis extending along the length of said container and through the apex of said conical bottom wall; a mashing member fixed to said crank for rotation therewith and being located just above said bottom wall of said container, said mashing member being joined to said crank at a point located substantially midway between the top and bottom ends of said container; and a one-piece, elongated, narrow, springy, cross member located substantially midway between the ends of said container, extending in a direction transverse to said axis of rotation across the interior of said container and being removably connected to opposite side wall portions thereof, said springy. cross member embracing said crank at a point just above said mashing member to resiliently urge the latter and said crank therewith toward said bottom wall of said container.

6. A masher, comprising in combination, an open top container havin a perforated bottom wall removably mounted thereon, said perforated bottom wall being conical and having the apex thereof located within the interior of said conwire member located substantially midway be-- tween the ends of said container, extending in a direction normal to said axis of rotation across the interior of said container and having opposite straight free ends respectively located beneath said closed ends of said U-shaped portions of said holding members, said springy, wire member being bent only at a conical portion thereof to form a loop embracing said crank at a point just above said mashing member to resiliently urge the latter and said crank therewith toward said bottom wall of said container.

RENE CHARLES ROI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1 Date 1 462,111 Cooper Oct. 2'7. 1891 488,668 Amos Dec. 27, 1892 932,930 Williamson et a1. Aug. 31, 1909 1,260,098 Trice Mar. 19, 1918 1,481,660 Beach Jan. 22, 1924 1,921,936 Mantelet 1 Aug. 8, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 413,441 France Feb. 7, 1910 344,530 Germany Nov, 24, 1921 371,714 Great Britain Apr. 28, 1932 44,493 France Nov. 8, 1934 510,268 Great Britain July 31, 1939 237,760 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1945 

